<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Children of Dust and Ashes by TheWindAndRain</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28162206">Children of Dust and Ashes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWindAndRain/pseuds/TheWindAndRain'>TheWindAndRain</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fire Nation Fam, I'm giving her a backstory and she deserves that., Ozai sucks like he is the worst, aftermath of scenes from the show, also scenes from my brain because this is a fic, okay maybe I'm not actually giving her that because this will end the way it does in canon but., scenes from the comics, ursa deserves better and I am here to give her that, where do I sign up to join the we hate ozai club</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:28:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,369</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28162206</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWindAndRain/pseuds/TheWindAndRain</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Zuko, please, my love, listen to me. Everything I've done, I've done to protect you. Remember this, Zuko. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are."</p><p>A look into the Fire Nation family, starting with the day Ursa's life changed forever.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ikem/Ursa (Avatar), Ozai/Ursa (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Children of Dust and Ashes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello! I am done with college for the semester and this idea will not leave my head so... here it is. Once I tried to make a video explaining Ursa's history but it was 20 minutes long and I was like "no one will watch this and I don't blame them" so here I am, giving it in a fic.</p><p>I love Ursa so much and I think the dynamic between her and Ozai (and later the rest of the family) is so interesting and never studied a lot in comparison to some of the other themes from the show so I am now sharing my thoughts on it with you all! For whatever that's worth.</p><p>Also please note the TW that although this chapter will not, the later ones will contain references to domestic/spousal abuse and all of the terrible things that come with that, although I will not go too into detail but instead focus more on the psychological aftermath.</p><p>I am so excited to share this with you all. I've been working so hard weaving in the scenes from the comics with some fresh original content and I can't wait to keep writing! I have about fifty pages of this written so far, so hopefully updates will come soon!</p><p>Please leave me some feedback, I thrive on it :) And that is all, I will stop bothering you and let you enjoy the story!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The wall of flames surrounding Azulon’s shadowed figure was enough to strike fear into the hearts of anyone who dared to face him. Luckily, the good news brought by the Fire Sages would be enough to protect them from his wrath for the moment.</p><p>“The search for Avatar Roku’s descendants has ended. Agni granted us a vision of the village of Hira’a earlier this week, and upon further inspection, we discovered the family.” One of the Sages spoke, keeping his head bowed in deference to the man in front of him.</p><p>It was impossible for anyone to see the distinct features of Azulon’s face behind his fiery shield, but if the Sages dared to squint through the flames, they might have noticed the corner of his lip twitch upwards.</p><p>“And they have a daughter, I presume?” They would not dare to falsely lead the Fire Lord towards positive news, yet he asked anyway.</p><p>“Yes, Fire Lord Azulon. A beautiful girl of twenty-one years named Ursa. We asked Agni for confirmation and were informed that the prophecy remains in place.” The same Sage seemed to be the only one bold enough to talk. Maybe he was the leader, Azulon figured -- he never cared to learn much about the Fire Sages, except for the fact that they were interested in securing his bloodline. </p><p>“She’s an actress. We got this portrait of her from her most recent play.” Whoever this Sage was, he held out a scroll that Azulon assumed must be an image of the girl. He nodded towards his guard, who retrieved the paper and assumed his position at the side of the throne once more.</p><p>Azulon didn’t care whether she was the ugliest woman in the Fire Nation -- one of his sons would be marrying her no matter what. Still, it couldn’t hurt to have a portrait of her for his own records, and to assuage any hesitancy within his children. </p><p>“Hm. An actress. That should be useful in court.” Azulon noted, his deep voice echoing throughout the dark room. “I want security detail on her for the next two weeks. My son and I will set sail from Caldera as soon as we know that she is pure enough for him. I won’t run the risk of her hiding a child with another man.”</p><p>And what a nightmare that would be, if this Ursa had a child with some small-town lover and tried to pass it off as a member of the royal family. He had no qualms about disposing of his grandson in that event, but he knew she would make a scene over it. No, the easiest way to do this was to ensure there was no chance it could be anyone else’s child.</p><p>“Thank you for your dedication to the Fire Nation, as always. Please send my son in on the way out. Dismissed.” Azulon remained rigid in his seat as the Fire Sages filed out of the room, refusing to show a single moment of weakness. He couldn’t shame his lineage like that, not when they were on the edge of greatness. Not when he was so close to avenging his father by bringing Roku’s daughter into the family.</p><p>It was only moments before he heard the familiar footsteps of his child. Azulon’s eyes turned to focus on the man bowing before him, the son who so naturally did what was asked of him.</p><p>“Crown Prince Iroh.” His father was never one to recognize his military feats in private, especially not when weighed against the title of crown prince. “The Fire Sages bring good news. They have located the descendants of Avatar Roku.”</p><p>Azulon saw something flash in his son’s eyes, but it disappeared as soon as it had  appeared in the first place.</p><p>“What do you plan to do with them, Father?” Iroh kept his head bowed, his knees folded neatly under him. Surely Azulon would be interested in finishing what Sozin started -- and perhaps he wanted Iroh to carry that mission out for him.</p><p>“I have a proposal for you.” Azulon allowed the flames around him to dim, something he would never do for another person. He wasn’t capable of playing favorites, but he clearly… held less disdain for Iroh than the rest of his subjects. “The Fire Sages have predicted that the most powerful lineage of benders will come from a union between a descendant of Roku’s and my own bloodline. Her name is Ursa.”</p><p>Iroh’s heart hardly skipped a beat -- he’d learned to control his impulses a long time ago. To show any resistance was treason, and he would never treat his father like that.</p><p>“It would be an honor to strengthen our bloodline.” He responded instead, his words tactfully chosen. He would make the best of this situation, even if it was far from easy for him to do. </p><p>“Because you have always been obedient, I will offer you a choice. You already have a strong son who is more than capable of becoming your heir when you need one, but if you are interested in marrying again, you will be granted the privilege of being offered this opportunity first. If you are content with your path in life, you may pass this to Ozai without consequences. The Sages tell me she is a beautiful girl in her twenty-first year, if that makes a difference.” It was an offer Azulon never would have granted if Iroh was anything less than perfect. Really, he would win either way; he would have his bloodline strengthened no matter what Iroh chose, and even if Iroh did pass on her, Ozai needed to marry anyway. </p><p>“I appreciate your offer and your generosity, Father.” Iroh wanted to pretend he was weighing his options, but as soon as he was given a way out, he knew he was going to take it. “I believe I am well past my child-rearing years, however. I am interested in bringing military glory to the Fire Nation and raising Lu Ten, and having a wife would only distract me. Besides, this girl is much closer in age to Ozai, I am sure they would be a better match.”</p><p>Even though Azulon said there would be no consequences, Iroh was still slightly wary of denying his father without having an explanation. He held his breath until he saw his father nod, the wall of flames rising again.</p><p>“Very well. Please go find your brother and explain the situation. I am too busy to go through this again, but I am sure Ozai will take the news well. Tell him we leave for Hira’a in two weeks from the port.” Azulon thought Iroh might reject the offer from the start, but luckily, it wasn’t too terrible of a loss. In fact, it might even be better this way; if anything happened to Iroh in battle, Ozai would have an opportunity to make himself useful. “And take the portrait of Ursa to calm him down.”</p><p>“Yes, Fire Lord Azulon.” Iroh rose to his feet, pressing his hands together and offering his father a deep-seated bow before turning to the guard with the scroll. He took it, glancing down at the image staring back at him. She was pretty, but that wasn’t what caught his attention. There was a spark of life in her eyes that Iroh wasn’t sure he would ever see in person.</p><p>He had a feeling he knew where Ozai might be.</p><hr/><p>“Go clean yourself up.” Ozai’s voice cut through his heavy breathing, his hand reaching out and making contact with the serving girl’s skin. What was her name again? Hana? Hayami? Himari? It started with an ‘H,’ didn’t it?</p><p>It didn’t matter. She was willing to give Ozai what he wanted, and that was all he cared about.</p><p>“Yes, Prince Ozai.” She was obedient, at least. He put his hands behind his head as he watched her stand up, the imprint of his hand still clear on her as she pulled her robe around her small frame.</p><p>She was arguably more attractive than his usual girls, too. Most of the pretty ones weren’t as interested as giving up all of their prospects and throwing themself into the prince’s bed in a desperate attempt to become the next princess.</p><p>The girl’s head snapped around as she heard a knock on the door, her face turning as red as the robe she had just hastily pulled on. She glanced back towards Ozai, hoping he would know what to do.</p><p>“Well? Are you just going to stand there? Or are you planning on making your prince get up to open the door?” Ozai leaned over the edge of his bed and threw his own robe on as he spoke, making sure he looked presentable enough for whoever it was. </p><p>The girl hesitated for just a moment longer before nodding and walking across the room, pulling the door open. Hopefully it was another serving girl -- it was almost time for afternoon tea anyways, if she wasn’t mistaken.</p><p>Her face paled at the smiling visage of the crown prince. She struggled to keep herself covered as she moved to bow, only stopping when he waved his hand to halt her movements.</p><p>“Please, Rin, you don’t need to bow. Especially not if it will cause any trouble for you.” Rin. That was her name. “I remember what it was like to be young, if you can believe it.” Iroh laughed, returning color to the poor girl’s face. </p><p>“I just stopped by to speak with my brother, if you would be so kind as to give us the room for a minute.” The crown prince explained, his eyes studying Rin’s face as she recovered from the initial shock of being face-to-face with the crown prince in her current state. She looked… strangely like the girl from the portrait he was holding. Ozai would be pleased, at least.</p><p>“Rei was just leaving.” Now, that had to be intentional on Ozai’s part, right? The younger prince waved a hand at the woman dismissively, causing her to scurry out of the room. “What are you here for, Iroh? And what are you holding?”</p><p>“We need to talk. May I sit?” </p><p>Ozai seemed hesitant to allow it, but he eventually sighed and gestured towards the chair in front of his desk.</p><p>“The Fire Sages found Avatar Roku’s descendants, and they’re saying that a union between one of them and a child of Azulon would create legendary heirs.”</p><p>“And what? You’re here to gloat? Is that your marriage certificate?” Ozai’s lip curled up into a snarl the same exact way it had since he was a child and was told he had to go to class.</p><p>“No, Ozai, it is not my marriage certificate. Father and I decided that my time for raising a family is well past its prime. I have Lu Ten already, and you need to get married. This will be a good opportunity for you.” He tried to explain, although it hardly seemed to affect his brother’s pained facial expression.</p><p>“So you’re handing me your rejects? Is she that ugly? And why can’t Father tell me all of this himself instead of sending you around like a messenger hawk?”</p><p>“I asked if I could deliver the news to you.” A lie, but one Ozai would never know the truth behind. “And no, she is far from ugly. Here, this is a recent portrait of her that Father wanted you to have.” He extended the scroll out to Ozai, who snatched it out of his grasp immediately and scanned the face of the woman staring up at him. </p><p>“She looks like Rui.”</p><hr/><p>The good thing about hiding on stage was that there were many places to do it, especially with a set that was almost complete. Really, Ursa hardly had to try to find somewhere she could watch Ikem from without being noticed.</p><p>“Dark water spirit! You shall rule --” </p><p>An amused smile flickered across the young woman’s features at his misstep. He was always forgetting small words like that, interchanging them for ones he complained sounded too similar. </p><p>“No, no.” The man groaned in frustration, shaking his head and deciding to start the line over. “Dark water spirit! You shall rue the day you condemned to the mighty Dragon Emperor to dwell amongst the mortals!” He proclaimed, holding his mask in his hand as he called out to an empty audience.</p><p>This was Ursa’s chance. He was entirely wrapped up in the fantasy of the moment, he would never see her coming. She threw her mask on and hopped out from behind the tiki statue, jumping at the man with clawed hands. </p><p>“Boo!”</p><p>The scream that came from his mouth was well-worth her few minutes in hiding. He fell to the ground, landing right beside the discarded mask.</p><p>“You scared me half to death, Ursa!” He whined, looking up at her as she took the mask off and revealed her mirthful grin.</p><p>“But I thought you were the mighty Dragon Emperor, hero of Love Amongst the Dragons!” She teased, holding her arm up and flexing the muscles she definitely did not have as a way to mock Ikem’s supposed strength. He didn’t seem as amused as her, but it was impossible for him to not smile at her antics.</p><p>“That’s when I have my mask on.” He pointed out, holding up the mask to make a point. Right now, he was Ikem, not the Dragon Emperor, and Ikem was definitely afraid of people popping out from behind statues. Even if they were people he loved.</p><p>“I know.” She leaned down and put her hand underneath his chin, tilting his face up to meet hers in such an endearing way that it was impossible for him to be upset. “Without it, you’re just Ikem, my poor, cowardly boyfriend.” </p><p>“Cowardly, but handsome!” He grinned up at her, trying to regain the small bit of honor he still had left after falling on his face from the fright she gave him. At least no one was around to see it.</p><p>Ursa laughed, knowing there was no way she could argue against that. Instead, she offered a hand to him and helped him to his feet, holding her mask up with the other one.</p><p>“Well, handsome, guess who just got the role of the Dragon Empress?”</p><p>It was all she ever wanted, and he knew that. She was a talented actress, alongside the dozen other women in Hira’a vying for the role. Ikem knew that she was more talented than the rest of them, but the casting wasn’t exactly up to him. If it were, Ursa would have gotten the role a long time ago.</p><p>Ursa had no problem being a part of the ensemble cast -- she found it fun to run back and forth with costume changes, really -- but this was something she’d dreamed of since she was a child. Love Amongst the Dragons was her favorite play, the reason she decided to become an actress in the first place. And now, she was the Dragon Empress alongside her boyfriend.</p><p>“Congratulations!” Ikem wrapped his arms around her in a bone-crushing hug, making sure she knew just how happy he was for her. “Do you know what this means?!  I’ll finally get to fulfill my lifelong ambition of kissing you in front of the whole village!” </p><p>He never could resist saying something along those lines. Ursa never minded, though. She loved him more than anything, and if she was going to be honest with herself, she had to admit that she thought the same thing shortly after she got the news.</p><p>“Come on, let's practice!” He offered, throwing his mask on again. She couldn’t tell any longer, but she figured his eyes were sparkling the way they usually did with good news. </p><p>Ursa put the mask on with a small sigh, although it was more playful than exasperated. There was no way she could ever be irritated with him, especially not when he was so willing to show how much he loved her. </p><p>“Though I was trapped in the body of a mortal, you willingly gave me your heart! I cannot help but give you mine in return!” His voice changed as he slipped into the role, leaving Ikem’s goofy personality behind and stepping into the behavior of the Dragon Emperor. </p><p>“Only with your glory hidden in false form could you finally recognize my devotion!” Her voice changed too as she adopted the new persona, although instead of booming across the yard like Ikem’s did, it took on the role of a traditional, devoted wife. As much as Ursa loved the show, she could also recognize it as Fire Nation propaganda -- after all, there was no way it would have been approved for performance unless it had something to do with upholding the nation’s values.</p><p>Ikem leaned toward her and pressed her mask against his, causing her to scrunch up her nose and shift backwards.</p><p>“Ugh. masked kissing is the worst.” She complained, sticking her tongue out to show just how much she hated it. She’d have to get used to it for the role, but for now, she was content to express her distaste. </p><p>Ikem’s response -- or lack thereof -- caused her to tilt her head in confusion. He was staring at her, that much was obvious, but it was hard to tell exactly what he was thinking with the mask still covering his face.</p><p>“What?” She asked, her eyes going wide. Had she done something wrong? Did she offend him when she broke the scene?</p><p>He stayed silent for another moment, staring at her for just a little while longer to work up the courage he needed to ask her.</p><p> “Will you marry me?” </p><p>Well, that was unexpected.</p><p>“That’s in the script?” Ursa frowned, holding up the scroll and looking for the place they left off. Was this a new adaptation of the show? She read it a hundred times, and never remembered the Dragon Emperor asking that. Surely the palace had better things to worry about than revising plays, right?</p><p>“No.” Ikem removed his mask, watching her closely as a small crease formed between her brows.</p><p>What was he playing at now?</p><p>“You remember when we were six, how you kicked me in the stomach and pushed my face in the dirt?” He asked, throwing the mask aside. </p><p>“How many times do I have to apologize for that? Sheesh…” And why was he bringing it up again now? Hadn’t Ursa made up for it already? </p><p>Ikem didn’t laugh alongside her joke, which only confused her more. Had the break in the scene really thrown him off this much?</p><p>“I began loving you that day. And I haven't ever stopped.” He spoke slowly, as if choosing every single word with all the thought in the world put behind them. “So I'll ask you again… no masks this time.” </p><p>She dropped the script in shock as she finally realized what was happening, a blush rising on her cheeks while he moved to hold her hands.</p><p>Agni, how could she have been so oblivious? Had it really taken her this long to figure out what he was doing?</p><p>She hardly had time to think before he was asking her the question.</p><p>“Ursa, daughter of Jinzuk and Rina, will you marry me?”</p><p>She would do anything to marry him. She loved him, she had since the day he would never let her live down when she kicked him in the stomach. </p><p>“Yes.” Her eyes were filled with tears as she stood up on her toes to meet his lips. “Yes, Ikem, of course I will.”</p><p>“Oh, thank Agni.” Ikem seemed genuinely relived, almost as if he was expecting her to say no. In what world would she ever refuse to marry him? “I was worried for a second.”</p><p>“You had no reason to be. I love you, Ikem, and I always will.” She reassured, leaning her head against his chest and looking up at him. She loved the way the light sparkled in his golden eyes, especially as the sun set for another day.</p><p>“The sunset!” Ursa gasped, stepping back from Ikem with wide eyes. “I promised my parents I would be home for dinner!” How had so much time passed since she left to speak with her director?</p><p>“Go! Go tell them the good news!” Ikem smiled, hardly upset about losing her for a moment if it would mean he got to spend the rest of his life with her soon.</p><p>“What, that I’m getting married or that I’m the new Dragon Empress?” She teased, leaning forwards and pressing one last kiss to his lips.</p><p>“Well, obviously the Dragon Empress is the most exciting news.” He played into her teasing the way he always did, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled down at her.</p><p>“I love you, Ikem.” She reminded as she collected her mask and discarded script, hopping down from the stage.</p><p>“See you tomorrow, Dragon Empress!” He called out as she started off towards her house. He gave her one final wave, which she returned just before she disappeared down the alleyway next to the theater. </p><p>Agni, he was in love.</p><hr/><p>Ursa ran down the road that led to the back entrance of her house, hoping her parents wouldn’t be too worried about her. Sure, it was getting dark now, but they knew she was going to be out for a while.</p><p>She threw the gate open with perhaps too much force, if the indignant squawk that came from the pig-chicken in her family’s backyard was any indication.</p><p>“Sorry for waking you, pig-chicken!” She apologized immediately, leaning down to pet the animal as a way to make up for her intrusion. “But it's such a beautiful night! Why waste it on sleep?” </p><p>Her mother would know what happened right away, she was sure of it. She could hear the dreamy tone to her voice, and she knew she had an unusual bounce to her step.</p><p>As if she’d learned nothing from the incident with the pig-chicken, she threw open the door to her house.</p><p>“Mom, you'll never guess what Ikem -- ” </p><p>Her mother was sitting on the floor with her back towards Ursa, the familiar family heirloom of Roku’s crown unwrapped in her hands. </p><p>Ursa felt her blood run cold. Had the Fire Nation army been here? She heard the war was ramping up again, but… surely they hadn’t come all the way to Hira’a to draft her father, right?</p><p>“What's wrong? Where's Dad?” She asked immediately, kneeling next to her mother and watching as the strong woman wiped away tears. No, no, Rina didn’t cry, Ursa had never seen her cry in her entire life. Something terrible had happened, if she was starting now.</p><p>“Your father's out back in the greenhouse…” Her mother seemed hesitant to even speak, her gaze averted from her daughter in a way that did very little to ease her worries. “With a visitor.”</p><p>It had to be someone from the military, then. They were here to take her father away, and she would never see him again.</p><p>“I love you, Ursa.” Rina’s voice was broken and raspy from her attempt to quell her emotions. “You know that, don't you?”</p><p>Ursa did know that, of course she did. But why would her mother need to tell her that now? </p><p>“Mom, whatever’s going on, we’re going to get through it together.” The girl promised, taking her mother’s hand and giving it a comforting squeeze. “We’ll always have each other, right?”</p><p>Her heart plummeted further as she saw her mother’s reaction, the way the aging woman pressed her face against Ursa’s dress for a moment before composing herself.</p><p>“You need to remember that I love you, Ursa. This is not what I wanted for you.”</p><p>“Mom, you’re scaring me.” Ursa didn’t want to upset her any further, but it was the truth. Why would no one tell her what was happening?</p><p>“It’s going to be alright, sweetheart. Your father wants to see you in the greenhouse, okay?”</p><p>Rina rose to her feet, still clutching the crown in her hands as Ursa followed her lead. </p><p>“I love you.” Ursa reminded her mother, tears welling up in her own eyes as she pressed a kiss to the woman’s cheek. Would this be the last time she’d ever do so, if this situation warranted such a strong reaction from her mother?</p><p>Ursa forced herself to walk towards the greenhouse, fighting back the urge to turn and embrace her mother again as she heard her stifled sobs.</p><p>She had to be strong, no matter what was happening. She wiped the few tears from her face and stood up taller as she approached the greenhouse. </p><p>She pulled the door open, her eyes going wide when saw her father kneeling before the guests and realized what was happening. It… it couldn’t be, surely not. </p><p>But she’d been raised with the Fire Lord’s face in every room she entered, and the resemblance was uncanny. That had to be Fire Lord Azulon standing in her greenhouse, admiring the white lilies her mother painstakingly cared for.</p><p>There was another figure behind the Fire Lord, hidden in the shadows. She could see that his arms were crossed over his chest, but his specific features were lost to the light. He had to be some sort of guard; the Fire Lord wouldn’t travel alone, surely. The outline of his sweeping robes didn’t exactly support that theory, but maybe guards dressed differently in Caldera.</p><p>She hadn’t realized how long she was staring until her father broke her out of her trance.</p><p>“Daughter, show our guests the proper respect.” </p><p>Ursa fell to her knees at her father’s reminder, bowing her head to the ground.</p><p> “Fire Lord Azulon!” She greeted, the tone of her voice coming from shock as much as it was from the admiration she knew better than to not force into her expression. This was the Fire Lord, the man people fought tooth and nail to even see a glimpse of. </p><p>“Ursa, is it? Rise, and let us have a look at you.” </p><p>She decided very quickly that she did not like the way he spoke, but there was nothing she could do other than rise to her feet. She kept her gaze on the floor, feeling his eyes on her, studying her, making note of her every move. </p><p>She heard her father rise to his feet next to her, but she couldn’t bring herself to glance in his direction. A personal visit from the Fire Lord to the outer reaches of the empire could only mean terrible news.</p><p> “Magistrate Jinzuk, your wife has raised a daughter even more beautiful than her flowers.” Azulon complimented, his voice still harboring that same edge which made her blood run cold. “We've had such trouble finding Avatar Roku's descendants. It's as if he wanted to keep you hidden from us.”</p><p>Why wouldn’t he, after what Sozin did to him? But Ursa wasn’t stupid enough to give any visible reaction, any small movement that would label her as a conspirator. </p><p>Her parents waited many years before telling her of her ancestry, and stressed that she could never tell anyone once she knew. It was too dangerous to have a blood connection to the Fire Nation’s biggest traitor, the man who pushed Sozin to start the war. </p><p>But still, the Fire Lord somehow found her.</p><p>And now, she was sure he was going to finish what his father started and kill her and her parents.</p><p>“But now, clearly, the effort was worthwhile.” Azulon continued, noticing the way Ursa’s jaw clenched just the slightest bit as she prepared for what she assumed would be a painful death. “The Fire Sages tell me that the pairing of the Avatar’s granddaughter with my own son will yield a bloodline of great power, one that would help ensure my family's rule for centuries after I am gone.”</p><p>No. No, she wasn’t going to marry his son. She was engaged to Ikem, she was going to marry Ikem.</p><p>She would have burst into tears, if she was just a single bit worse at controlling her emotions. </p><p>Being an actress came in handy, she supposed.</p><p>“Ursa, may I introduce you to Fire Prince Ozai, my second son.” Azulon gestured towards the figure behind him, who stepped out from the shadows with a sinister smirk on his lips. “He has a proposal for you.”</p><p>However much Ursa hated the feeling of Azulon’s eyes on her, she immediately decided that she hated Ozai’s more. His expression made her skin crawl, his face made up of sharp angles and no warmth behind his eyes, despite the heat that radiated from his as a natural firebender.</p><p>“Ozai.” Azulon prompted after a moment of silence, turning his attention to his son and raising an eyebrow. Ozai cleared his throat, seeming… almost bored with this, as if it was nothing more than an unnecessary show. And, really, it was.</p><p>Ozai placed his hand underneath Ursa’s chin and forced her to look upwards, to meet his cold stare. He remained silent for another moment, staring into her eyes as if daring her to challenge the marriage.</p><p>“You will marry me, won’t you, Ursa?”</p><p>Even his proposal made it clear that she had no say in the matter. She nodded numbly, only realizing she’d been holding her breath once he pulled his hand away.</p><p>“Perfect. I’ll be in the carriage. I won’t spend another minute in this backwater village.” With that, her future husband pushed past her and strode towards the door to the greenhouse, his robes billowing behind him.</p><p>“I will go collect my things.” Ursa broke the silence right away, not trusting herself to remain calm if she had one single moment to think. “Thank you for this opportunity, Fire Lord Azulon.”</p><p>“No, dear, that won’t be necessary. You’ll be outfitted for a lady of your station as soon as we return to Caldera.” Azulon explained, seeming at least slightly grateful for Ursa’s willingness to start up a new conversation in the wake of Ozai’s dismissal. “Unless you’re refusing our generosity, of course.”</p><p>“No, Fire Lord Azulon, of course not. I just… I would like to have a moment to say goodbye to my parents, if possible.” It was dangerous of Ursa to request something as small as that, but she had to. She couldn’t leave them without saying goodbye, without hugging them one last time.</p><p>“You’ll have a chance to say goodbye after the wedding. We’ll send another ship to bring them to Caldera for the ceremony in a few weeks. As my son said, we would prefer not to spend any more time in this… quaint town.” </p><p>And with that, Azulon started off for the door, gesturing for Ursa to fall in line behind him. She glanced back to her father one last time, repressing a sob at the look on his face. </p><p>She followed the Fire Lord out to the carriage instead of allowing herself to cry, keeping her head down as the door opened and a guard offered his hand to help her up.</p><p>“Thank you.” She whispered as she took the man’s assistance, hoisting herself into the carriage and taking her place beside Ozai.</p><p>“You don’t have to thank the help, Ursa.” The prince still sounded bored as he reprimanded her, hardly sparing a glance in her direction.</p><p>How was she marrying a man like this instead of someone as kind as Ikem?</p><p>Oh. Ikem. She hadn’t even stopped to think of Ikem yet, not really. What would he do, once he found out what happened?</p><p>“How long will it take us to reach Caldera?” She asked suddenly, causing Ozai to turn and look at her.</p><p>“We do have the fastest ships in the empire. It should hardly be more than a few days.”</p><p>That was it. She only had a few days to mourn the loss of her old world and the love of her life, a few days to remember who she was before being forced to step into this role for the rest of her life.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>God, poor Ursa. </p><p>Please let me know what you think so that I am not writing into the void! I truly do thrive with validation so even if you comment "I didn't hate this!" it will probably make my entire week.</p><p>I am hoping to get another update out by next Friday! Maybe that will even be a regular update schedule (shocking!)</p><p>I hope you are all surviving the current state of the world, and I hope reading this let you escape for a little while even if it wasn't a very happy escape because of everything our girl Ursa is going through.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>